Vintage Selota at Promusica

Jazz musician Selaelo Selota has two concerts lined up at Promusica: “Come, I will give you Selaelo, not recycled music,” he says.
THE critically acclaimed jazz artist Selaelo Selota is promising great music and a peep into his personal life when he performs at the Promusica Theatre in Roodepoort on 10 and 11 December.

The concert will give Selaelo Selota's hans a peep into his life The concert will give Selaelo Selota's fans a peep into his life The concert will be more personal and he will choose the songs he wants to share with the audience, the musician says. “It will be songs that are not usually given a chance to be heard.”

Selota says the theatre is giving him an intimate opportunity with the audience, which will allow him to tell them the stories about the songs he performs. “Many people know the songs but they do not know what inspired them. They will also have the opportunity to hear songs [from] my upcoming album.”

Inviting his fans to the concert, he says they will see the vintage and raw black coffee Selota “not the one who is spiced”. “Come, I will give you Selaelo, not recycled music,” he says.

“Come and drink all the richness of your own country, the music that I play is influenced by this country, people who walk, cry laugh are my inspiration,” he says.

Selota, a graduate of the University of Cape Town, describes his music as a matured music. “I came as an artist who is pushing matured ideas and music,” he points out, saying he was never drawn into music of a popular culture of youth.

His favourite local musician is Caiphus Semenya: “I used to listen to him while I was growing up.”

Music
He became a musician because he wanted to say something and because he was persuaded by his identity: “The biggest tool to express oneself and giving people an idea of where you are coming from is the music.”

Inspired by the everyday, he observes life and writes about it.

“I am a musician by profession not by talent. I have passed the talent stage. For me I had a musical talent and I wanted to go and learn what it is and I went to school to study music, so when I graduated it was a point to say now it is the time to get into the industry not as a talented musician because I am talented. It is a given factor.”

Young people should study music as there is a difference between talented and professional musicians. “Studying music makes one understand the entire process, including the business side of music. There are a lot of avenues and streams for those who studied music,” he says.

Those who are educated and talented have more chances and more scope in terms of where they can participate in the music industry. “In the music industry you may not be a performer, but you can be a songwriter or a transcriber.

“For example, I perform by talent but I am a qualified composer and arranger, hence I write songs for the likes of Judith Sephuma and Malatji. I advise every young musician to get the full knowledge; school will empower,” he says.

That young musicians recycle music and do not come up with original songs worries him, he says. “They are technologically creative and technology changes all the time.”

Selota’s Promusica concerts will start at 8pm on 10 December and 4pm on 11 December. The theatre is at 100 Christiaan de Wet Drive in Florida Park, Roodepoort. Tickets are available at Computicket for R120.